Ethnic attitudes and social projection in the classroom

Abstract

This research examined the process and conditions of social projection of biased ethnic attitudes to classmates in two samples of Grades 4–6 children (n = 342, Mage = 10.75, SD = 0.98; 49% girls; and n = 525, Mage = 10.49 years, SD = 0.96; 51% girls). Children reported on the ethnic group norm in their classroom and on their own ethnic attitudes. Multilevel analyses showed that ethnic majority (Studies 1 and 2) and ethnic minority (Study 2) children's norm perceptions were partly accurate as they not only reflected the aggregated attitudes in each classroom but also related to children's unique attitudes that indicated social projection. Projection was stronger for the most disadvantaged minority group and for children with less depressed affect.